


Agent Slayer

by polgara



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-12
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-01-08 12:30:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1132672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polgara/pseuds/polgara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil Coulson does his best to recruit the oldest slayer into the Avengers Initiative. This is a collection of short stories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Possibility

**Author's Note:**

> Buffy just thought she was coming to someone’s rescue in that dark alley. Instead she learned about a new organization with a name she had no hope of remembering. 
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, settings, or fandoms. They are the property of their respective creators and companies.
> 
> Prompt: #355 Dust You Are and Dust You Will Return

Buffy frowned as she paused in the middle of the sidewalk. While the streets of humdrum middle America were a little busier than Sunnydale’s had been at this time of night, they weren’t exactly crowded either. She waited patiently until she had heard the noise again and headed in the direction of the sounds of fighting. 

The slayer rounded the corner intent on lending a hand but nearly skidded to a stop when she took in the action. A man in a tailored suit was holding his own against a vampire. Granted, the vampire wasn’t exactly a master, but the man was surprisingly successful in dodging the blows from his opponent and landing a few of his own. 

She leaned carefully against one of the brick buildings lining the alley and watched as the man in the suit maneuvered the fight until he suddenly dropped into a roll. When he rose up on his feet he had a broken piece of wood in his hand that he managed to grab in the maneuver. With smooth controlled motions, he blocked the last few attempts at a punch before ramming the stake neatly through the vampire’s heart. 

If it wasn’t for her slayer hearing she wasn’t positive she would have heard him murmur, “And dust to dust,” as the vampire disintegrated in front of him. 

“Not bad,” Buffy commented, pushing herself off the wall with minimal effort. “Although really, if you’re going to be hunting vampires, you should be carrying your own stake. Cuts down on the improvising.” 

“I will try to remember that for next time, although I hope there will not be one,” he said, an easy smile on his face. “Miss Summers, I presume.” 

Her green eyes narrowed. “Maybe, who are you?” Her body tensed in preparation. He may have appeared to be human, but there were all sorts of demons who could disguise themselves. Plus, anyone who knew her name and was aware of vampires wasn’t always a good thing. 

“Agent Phil Coulson with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division,” he replied, making no move to step closer to her. 

She felt her jaw drop slightly. “The wha?” 

“Strategic Homeland Inter-“ 

Buffy waved a hand to cut him off. “Forget it, I’ll never remember it. What do you want?” 

He nodded his head and kept his hands held out slightly from his sides in a non-threatening gesture. “We recently took possession of a military project called the Initiative.” 

“Not a way to earn Brownie points,” she interrupted again, her voice hard. 

“I understand, I read their file on you. Rest assured we are not reviving the program, we just wanted to ensure no one else could either. We aren’t interested in creating a perfect soldier,” he said, the calm smile never leaving his face. 

“Okay, that’s a better start. I gave the military my report on what happened, so what do you want with me?” 

“I’m here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative.” 

**********

Buffy waited until the waitress set their food down on their table before she said, “So what you’re saying is you want to call me in to work with some other superhuman like people whenever the shit hits the fan.” 

“In the common vernacular, yes,” Agent Coulson agreed with a nod of his head as he adjusted his plate and silverware before him.

“And who are these other superhuman like people and are we talking special powers or something else?” She asked, truly curious. While she didn’t consider herself a superhuman, she could see where others could mistake her role as a slayer to be one. She wondered what it took to be considered superhuman to this group. 

“Think of it less as superhuman and more of people with a highly-specialized skill set who have the ability to think outside the box. As for their identities,” he shook his head at her. “For now, until you reveal your decision on whether or not to join us, I have to protect their identities.” 

Honestly, Buffy could respect that, she had her own charges within the New Council that she did her best to protect as well. “You do realize that I have a friend who could probably hack – “ 

“Willow Rosenberg. Yes, we’ve been aware of her for some time. We tried to recruit her in high school but she chose a different path,” he revealed before taking a bite of his hamburger. 

“That would have been witchcraft,” she said smugly. She didn’t really know anything about this organization with a ridiculous name, but she was positive that it wasn’t what the Willow of that time needed. 

“Yes, and later that year you also used a stolen rocket launcher in the middle of a mall to defeat a demon,” he said calmly with no hint of accusation in his voice, but kept it completely matter of fact. 

Buffy’s fork paused on its way to her mouth and she squeaked out, “You know about that?” 

“Security cameras,” he reminded her without a trace of smugness in his voice or face. “I know the Watcher’s Council did an adequate job in covering your tracks, but we monitor any potential problems. We began research on you but discovered the Council had a prior claim and that there was little possibility of them relinquishing it.” 

“I quit once,” she pointed out, punctuating the once with her fork.

“I know, but we also knew that your sense of loyalty to Sunnydale would prevent you from leaving,” he said before taking another bite of his hamburger. 

She couldn’t argue that point with him because he was right. Sunnydale was her only priority for the longest time. But that was then and this was now. “So what changed?” 

“Sunnydale. You. The world.” 

“Fair enough,” she said with a bob of her head. “But why now? Sunnydale was several years ago,” she said before taking another bite of her salad. It wasn’t exactly spectacular, but she had drowned it in enough dressing to make do for the evening. 

“We’ve been keeping an eye on you,” Coulson said and she was impressed with how honest he had been through this whole process. “Not as close as we would like, the firewalls at the New Council are rather impressive, but close enough. Things are being set in motion and Director Fury is going for the proactive approach rather than reactive. We’d like to minimize the damage and danger as much as possible.” 

She frowned at the mention of the new name. “And why didn’t this Director Fury talk to me himself?” 

For a moment his calm smile actually turned into something a little more genuine before dropping back. “Director Fury also carries another title, that of General Fury. I convinced him that a less military approach would work better for you considering your… difficulties with the last organization.” 

An indelicate snort escaped her lips as she tried to contain her laugh. “You’re probably right,” she admitted. 

They ate in silence for several minutes as Buffy thought over everything he had told her. She was definitely going to have Willow do some investigating on them, but what he had laid out for her was actually intriguing. The leader in her couldn’t fault the Director for wanting to be prepared and at least he was willing to think outside the box.

“When do you need an answer?” She finally asked.

He pulled a business card out of an inside pocket of his suit jacket and slid it across the table to her. “Take as long as you need.”


	2. Requiring Assistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's possible that Coulson could be stalking her across the country, but trying to find a single crystal in the middle of Seattle could be impossible without him.

Buffy frowned at the image on her laptop screen. It was definitely not the usual type of crystal that was featured in apocalypses but it was rather pretty. It was a fairly large gem with the surface covered in what looked like more crystals resembling the geodes she had once studied in science class. 

According to Willow all of the facets magnified the crystals power when used in conjunction with the dimensional spell that the local demons were trying to complete. They had already started the process if all the craziness in the city was any indication. At least Willow had narrowed down the cause to the crystal and the spell, now she only had to find it and destroy it. A needle in a haystack. 

Her phone vibrated on the table next to her laptop and she answered it without looking at the caller ID. “Willow, please tell me you've got more info.” 

“I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not Miss Rosenberg,” came the calm voice over the line. 

“Agent Coulson,” Buffy said with a sigh, sitting back in her chair. “I'm starting to think you're stalking me. This is the third time in three months you've called me.” 

“I'm merely letting you know that our offer still stands and that we have not forgotten about you,” he said, and not for the first time. She had heard a version of that statement every time he had contacted her. “How is Seattle today?” 

She frowned. “You are tracking me. Did you put a bug on me when I wasn't looking? Have you managed to hack into our files to -” 

“You used a credit card to pay for your hotel two weeks ago. I was concerned because this is the longest you have stayed in any one area for the past year and a half.” 

“You have been tracking me in order to know about how long I stay anywhere?” 

“Credit cards only,” he assured her. “I looked up your history when we first thought of approaching you. Just to pick up patterns.” 

She felt slightly mollified by his response, but only slightly. Really the thought of the credit cards had never occurred to her and he was a super secret spy. “Seattle is lovely. A nice balmy 76 degrees and no rain to speak of. Did you just call me for a weather report?” 

He chuckled softly before replying, “No. I was wondering if you would like assistance in your mission there.” 

“And how do you know there's a mission?” She asked hotly. “I could be here for shopping. Or a vacation.” 

“You vacation in Rome, not Seattle,” he said, seemingly unruffled. “And we can follow the signs almost as well as you can. We were going to send a team there ourselves to investigate until I saw you were there already. I didn't want to step on your toes, so to speak. And it's an offer only, if you wish -” 

“No wishing!” She interrupted him shortly. “Wishing is bad and only leads to badness. Nothing good comes from wishing. Never, ever use that word.” 

There was an honest to goodness pause on the other end of the line, one she had never experienced with Coulson before. He had always been able to keep up with her quips and readily shot back answers to any question she asked. It seemed, for once, she had truly been able to take him by surprise. 

“So noted,” he finally responded. “Do you require assistance or would you like for us to remain out of your way?” 

Buffy bit back her immediate negative response and truly thought the idea over. Seattle was rather large and trying to find a single stone in time by herself was an enormous task that she wasn't positive she would be able to handle on her own. If she accepted his offer she would get to see how SHIELD operated which would give her a better understanding of them and whether or not she wanted to take Coulson up on his offer to join the Avengers Initiative. 

Admittedly the concept behind the group was a good one, but anything military, or military based made her pause. They were stuck with strict rules and regulations on how to handle things, and there was so much out there that just couldn't be handled by those means, especially in her world. Allowing herself to join would mean subjecting herself to that environment and she already knew that she didn't fit in. 

“What kind of help are we talking about?” She asked. 

“That depends on what you would want from us,” he responded easily and she could almost hear the satisfied smile in his voice. 

“I don't want you guys descending on the city like a swarm of locusts. Keep it small and contained. And make sure they can handle the weird, cause this one is liable to get weird.” 

“Understood. A small team will be at your hotel in two hours.” 

“That fast?” She asked, rather surprised. 

“Miss Summers, this is SHIELD,” he simply replied, and then ended the call. 

XXXXXXXXXX 

Almost two hours later on the dot, there was a soft knock on her hotel room door. She opened it to reveal Coulson standing calmly on the other side holding a large briefcase. “Miss Summers,” he said with a nod of his head before entering the room uninvited. She sighed at the name, but it seemed no matter how many times she asked him to call her Buffy, he resorted to the more formal moniker. 

“Agent Coulson,” she replied and looked at the other man with him. He grinned rakishly at her before entering as well. She stuck her head into the hallway to look both ways only to pull her head back into the room and frown at the two men. “Just the two of you?” 

“You said to keep the team small,” Coulson pointed out. 

She shut the door and took a step towards them. “Yes, but I meant an actual team. Not a duo, pair, duet, twosome, couple -” 

“Whoa, not a couple,” the other guy protested. “No offense, sir.” 

“None taken,” Coulson replied without looking at him.

“Either way, I thought there'd be more.. men in black,” she said lamely. 

“We can handle it, don't worry,” the other guy said with a wide open smile. He took a few steps forward and offered his hand. “Agent Clint Barton.” 

She stared at it for only a moment before taking the last step forward to take his hand. His grasp was firm and he didn't try to soften it because she was a girl. At least he seemed to have potential. “Buffy Summers,” she offered back.

“Why don't we begin with what you already know,” Coulson suggested as he set the briefcase on the table and opened it. He set up his own equipment as Buffy laid out what she knew of the spell, the weirdness that was running rampant through the streets, and the crystal that they needed to find to put a stop to it all. 

“I do have a question about the crystal,” Clint said, a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth as he processed everything she had told them. “If the extra surface of the crystal is because it's a...” 

“Drusy quartz,” Coulson said, as he typed on his laptop. 

“A Drusy quartz, and that extra surface is especially good at multiplying the spell, wouldn't smashing the crystal just create more surface area and increase the potency of the spell?” 

Coulson stopped typing and looked up at Buffy. “Has Miss Rosenberg considered the possibility?” 

Buffy nodded. “I had asked the same question. Willow said the crystal loses it ability to magnify the spell if it's not whole. That even just a crack can disrupt the energies and prevent it from working.” 

“Very well,” Coulson said with a nod and returned his focus to the computer. 

“And her magic isn't able to get a fix on the crystal itself which is really why you need us,” Clint said with a knowing grin as Coulson worked. “I mean, I've heard about you from Coulson. You don't really need us for the demons you're fighting do you? You just want to assess us in action.” 

The tiny blonde took a good look at the agent who had accompanied Coulson. At first glance he seemed to be solidly built and she had noticed him checking out the layout of the room. More than likely he had also done an assessment of the building itself from the outside. To his credit he didn't even blink at the talk of magic and demons, but continued on as if it was a normal mission. 

“You're one of Coulson's people with a, how did he put it, 'highly-specialized skill set who can think outside of the box' aren't you?” She shrewdly asked. 

A rich, throaty laugh erupted from him. “Not a dumb blonde are you? I like that.” 

“I think I may have a location,” Coulson said, interrupting their conversation. He waited until Buffy and Clint stood behind him before continuing. “I accessed police records and strange sighting reports over the past two weeks.” 

He pointed to an area on the map of Seattle that was lit up with blue dots. “This area is displaying the most unusual activity.” He pointed to an area surrounding it in a mix of red and blue dots. “Radiating out from it are the violent crimes mixed with unusual activity. Your drusy quartz is most likely somewhere in the center of the circle.” 

Buffy was impressed with how easily he was able to obtain the information. It would have taken her weeks to compile this much information let alone put it in an easy visual mode like he had. “Can you zoom in on the center?” 

Coulson nodded and did as she asked. She leaned over his shoulder to get a better look. Her eyes quickly roamed over the buildings and picked out the three most probable ones. “You have just made my life infinitely easier.” 

“What's our next move?” Coulson asked. 

She straightened back up. “What if I said, thanks for your help but I've got it from here?” 

“Then we'll stand aside and let you complete your mission. I was being genuine when I said we didn't want to step on your toes,” he replied calmly. His face was serene and betrayed no desire to push her to accept their help.

Buffy looked to Clint to receive the same look from him. Perhaps Coulson truly was on the level, despite his tendency to stalk her all over the country. She looked back down at him. “And if I say I'm calling the shots when we go in?” 

“Then we will follow your lead,” he said. His lips didn't twitch into a smile, but she swore she saw the corners of his eyes crinkle a little. 

“Well, let's introduce you to the demon side of the world. Literally.”


	3. Bringing The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy can always be counted on to bring the slayage party.

Buffy resisted the urge to sigh as she silently weaved her way around the wooden crates in the warehouse. Really, for once she would like to see the bad guys pick a lush location to set up their secret lair rather than this ridiculous cliché. Didn't they know that this would be one of the first places they would look upon narrowing the area down? Granted, this was the third building they had searched that day, and not only that, but the third warehouse of the day. But still, top three had to count for something. 

She absently adjusted the communicator in her ear that Coulson had insisted she wore as she heard Clint murmur that he was in place. It had taken her slightly by surprise to learn that his weapon of choice was a recurve bow but at least that meant there was someone else there other than her who had an effective weapon. Clint was stationed up high in the rafters to make best use of his long range weapon and to give her intel on incoming demons. 

Or vampires. 

Willow didn't know who was behind the apocalypse attempt only that the power was building and that it needed to be stopped. Buffy was going to have to stay on her toes until she knew exactly what they were facing. She had done her best to give them an idea of what to expect and do during their fun filled time excursion that evening, she only hoped it was enough. Coulson seemed confident enough that they could handle anything and while yes, he had taken out a lone vampire on his own, she was still concerned. 

“Buffy, you have movement two rows away and beyond that I have eyes on the crystal,” Clint's voice said calmly in her ear. 

“Does it look human?” She murmured as softly as possible, not wanting the vampire's superior hearing to pick up their conversation. 

“Can't tell from this distance,” he said, the frown clearly evident in his voice. “I'm seeing shadows move, nothing else.” 

“What about the crystal, Hawkeye?” Coulson asked. He was stationed on the opposite end of the warehouse waiting for Buffy's decision on how to proceed. 

“They have a small area cleared in the center of the warehouse, not wider than thirty feet across. It's resting on a pedestal no taller than four feet, and currently clear of hostiles.” 

“Can you make a shot?” Buffy asked, hoping that for once things could go easy. 

“Negative. There is some sort of energy barrier surrounding it,” he said. 

Buffy didn't try to hold this sigh in. “Of course there is. And what kind of name is Hawkeye?” 

“The kind that is awesome,” he said with a low chuckle. 

She smiled at his response, glad to know he could keep up light-hearted comments while still being serious and focused while completing a mission. If everyone Coulson was rounding up for this Initiative were like him, perhaps she'd give it a shot. 

“Coulson, start working your way to the crystal, I'm going to check out Hawkeye's moving shadow.” 

“Affirmative.” 

Buffy's feet were silent as she made her way to the row that Clint had indicated. Cautiously she peered around the corner but didn't see anything. “Has it moved on?” She whispered. 

“Negative, I'm still seeing moving shadows twenty feet from your location.” 

“Yeah? Well, you need your eyes checked because I don't see squat,” she replied, squinting her eyes to see if she could see these same moving shadows. 

“My eyes are probably better than yours, even with your magic enhancements,” he replied a little testily. “And now the shadows are moving towards you, I'm detecting two separate shadows. Brace yourself.” 

Her body tensed in preparation only seconds before she felt a punch land on her jaw that sent her back several steps. She barely heard a soft twang followed swiftly by the thunk of an arrow lodging itself in a body. The air in front of her shimmered and a demon that could almost pass as human came into full focus before collapsing on the ground in front of her. An arrow shaft sticking out of the center of it's back. 

“Great, invisible demons,” she muttered before closing her eyes. Her ears picked up the stray sound of a foot scuffing on the concrete in front of her and she swung the scythe in a smooth arc. The metal of the weapon met resistance before slicing cleanly through the second demon Clint had detected. Her eyes opened to see another of the demons appear in two pieces on the floor. 

“I'm not one to say I told you so,” Clint's voice said in her ear. “But you are welcome.” 

She sent a fierce grin in the direction the arrow had come from. “And I am thankful.” 

“Coulson, be aware that the hostiles are invisible,” Clint said, alerting the third member of their team to the new intel. 

Buffy crouched next to the bodies and searched them to see if there was any indication as to why they were invisible. She didn't recognize the demons and didn't know if it was a natural part of their species or if there was something else going on. A soft grunt exited her lips as she pulled out matching necklaces from the bodies. 

“I think I've got something,” she said holding them up to get a better look at them. The dark stones were dull and lifeless in the meager light of the warehouse. “They're wearing some sort of necklace that seems to be sucking in any light around them. It's probably what they are using to make themselves invisible.” 

“What's the new strategy?” Coulson asked calmly in her ear. 

“The new strategy is that you stay the hell away from this. You aren't going to be able to see them coming. Cl- Hawkeye can stay up on his perch and let me know about moving shadows, but this is my mission alone from here on out,” she said resolutely. “I'm not risking you.” 

“Will they be detectable to thermal vision goggles?” 

Buffy paused to consider the idea. The bodies in front of her were warm, perhaps warmer than a normal human being which would make them detectable by the goggles. “What about the light from the overhead lamps? Are they going to interfere?” 

“I can make adjustments. Hold please,” Coulson's calm, steady voice said in her ear. 

“What about you, Buffy?” Clint asked as they waited on Coulson. 

“I've got training to deal with an unseen enemy,” she said with a wry twist of her lips as she remembered working in the Magic Box with Giles. “It's going to make this a little more challenging, but I've got this. Can you detect their position based on their shadows.” 

A scoffing noise came through her earpiece. “Child's play.” 

“Then keep them off my back if you can. And if you can take out the crystal, do it, don't worry about me.”

“Understood.” 

Coulson interrupted them. “I have calibrated the sensors, the ambient light won't be a problem.” 

“Great, then let's take out this crystal,” she said brightly. She didn't want to admit it, even to herself, but she was grateful she wasn't going to have to do this alone. 

Keeping her eyes open just enough to see where she was going, she opened and stretched her other senses to let her know when the demons were approaching. Between her senses and Clint's ability to pick out the moving shadows despite the dim light she managed to avoid any further injuries and took out two more demons. In her ear she could hear Coulson take out three on his own. 

“Heads up, I'm detecting shadows in the clearing and another one who isn't cloaked,” Clint informed them. “Do you want me to take the shot?” 

“No, I'm almost there, let's see what he wants first,” Buffy said. As much as she hated listening to demon's posturing about the apocalypse, she wanted to make sure they weren't missing any information. 

She rounded the corner and saw the now familiar looking demon type standing next to the pedestal holding the crystal. He was of a slim but sturdy looking build with just a hint of blue tinging his skin. With the right application of makeup he'd probably be able to pass as pure human. 

In the center of the clearing she could see the pedestal that Clint had mentioned earlier. Green light flickered around it and she didn't want to try touching it in order to reach the crystal. She hoped that if she took out the leader that whatever magic was protecting the crystal would drop and allow them access.

“Slayer,” he said formally with a slight bow of his head. 

“Demon,” she returned. 

“You wound me,” he said with a note of false injury in his voice. “My name is Derrick.” 

“Whatever,” she said with a wave of her free hand. She kept the scythe at the ready in her other. “I've never been all that great with names. Not like I need to be in order to stop you.” 

“Yes, I am rather impressed with your ability to fight an unseen enemy,” he said with an appreciative smile. 

Buffy could just see Coulson peer out from a nearby row behind Derrick before melting back into the shadows. “That's me, a girl of many talents. Any reason behind this current apocalypse attempt, or can we just get to the fighting now. No offense, but it's been a long few weeks and I'm ready for a well deserved vacation.” 

“And how do you not know that the world I'm about to bring about won't be better than this one?” He asked, one eyebrow arching. 

She stared at him for a moment before snorting. “Because you're a demon. One thing on your mind, destruction of human kind and the world.” 

“I am a modern day Renaissance Man,” he said with an almost pout. “I can bring about all sorts of wonders to this world. My invisibility necklaces are just the beginning.” 

“First of all, you're not even a man. And secondly, you don't look anything like Danny Devito.” 

He frowned at her in confusion. “Excuse me?” 

“See, haven't even watched the relevant movies. Really, I'm not sure you're worth my time. Admittedly, those necklaces are a nice touch and all, but I'm guessing that's more for your benefit in your bid to world domination rather than to help out mankind. And really, you think the demons you're going to be releasing are going to let you be in charge when you needed their help to take over the world? Please, I've seen toddlers with a greater ability to get what they want.” 

His face twisted into a snarl of rage. “You won't be able to stop me or the crystal.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Go ahead.” 

Derrick moved towards her but halted as an arrow lodged itself into his head. He stared at her in uncomprehending horror before crumpling to the ground. Around her the air shimmered as his magic stopped feeding the necklaces and she found herself surrounded by demons. 

Demons who were rather upset at the loss of their leader. With a look of grim determination she waded into the fight, dimly aware of Coulson joining her, minus his goggles. Both gunshots and the soft twang of Clint's bow joined the singing the scythe made as it cut through the air. Before she knew it, the three of them had made short work of the demons. 

She walked over to the pedestal that no longer shone with an eerie light. Her head tilted slightly as she considered the crystal that had been giving her trouble for the past two weeks. It really was rather pretty as it shimmered in the dimly lit warehouse. It captured the light and seemed to multiply it within it's depths. 

With calm hands she reached out and picked it up. She considered it careful for another minute before using all her strength to throw it onto the concrete floor. It's inner light died as it cracked and fell apart into several pieces. 

“Well that was fun,” Clint said from behind her. 

Buffy barely resisted the urge to jump in surprise. She had been concentrating so hard on the crystal, she hadn't heard him approach. “That's me. I always provide the party,” she said, her mouth a grim line. “And there's always the after party clean up to do.” 

She smiled as she heard Clint whine behind her. It was safe to say she was definitely enjoying his brand of humor along with his competence in the field. Perhaps joining a team of superheroes wouldn't be all that bad.


	4. Spoil Sport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy is beginning to think that Coulson has a thing for diners.

Buffy gave Coulson a warm smile as she spotted him sitting in a booth in the current diner of choice. He was in his ever present black, tailored black suit and sat sipping his coffee. She gave the waitress behind the counter a quick nod before joining him in the booth. 

“I'm beginning to think you have a thing for diners,” she said in lieu of greeting. 

“Excuse me?” 

“You took me to a diner the first night we met, we ate at one after the mission in Seattle, then there was the one we ate at last month when we began to roughly hash out our partnership, and now this one,” she said with a grin. 

The bland smile on his face never altered, but she noticed the shift around his eyes that told her he was amused by her observation. She took a moment to ponder the fact that she had apparently spent enough time with him to interpret his subtle facial movements. “I'm fond of the greasy burgers and most have decent coffee.” 

A blonde eyebrow lifted in disbelief. “I've learned that most diners have awful coffee.” 

“You're going to the wrong ones,” he countered smoothly. 

She grinned at him and turned to the waitress who approached their table. They both gave their orders and waited until she had left before continuing their conversation. 

“So what brings you to my neck of the woods this time?” She asked. “I'm really not here on a mission, just taking a few days off. Unless you've got trouble?” 

He calmly shook his head. “No trouble. I just wanted to work on the details of our tentative partnership. Director Fury and I want to ensure we don't step on any toes and stay within our respective jurisdictions.” 

“Makes sense,” Buffy agreed with a bob of her head. “How do you plan on doing that?” 

In way of answer, Coulson turned to the briefcase sitting on the bench next to him and opened it. He pulled out several rolls of paper and set them on the paper. With practiced motions he unrolled one onto the table in front of them to reveal a map of North America. “If we can narrow down your typical hotspots compared to ours, we can begin to reasonably assume whose jurisdiction outbreaks take precedence. It's possible that either one of can become aware of an issue and alert the other organization and hopefully prevent casualties.” 

Buffy was saved from answering immediately as the waitress brought them their food. Several moments were taken as they arranged the plates and maps to their liking. The waitress gave them a tired smile before moving back to the counter. Buffy resisted the urge to snort as she took in Coulson's hamburger. “You can literally see the grease dripping off of it.” 

He nodded. “That's what makes it good.” 

She shuddered at the thought and proceeded to pour her dressing over her salad and mixed it thoroughly. “That stuff will give you a heart attack.” 

Coulson just hummed noncommittally as he took a bite of his burger. The next several minutes were spent in silence as they ate their dinner and Buffy considered what Coulson was offering. 

The chance to save lives by knowing about possible situations faster. It wasn't uncommon for Buffy and the other slayers traveling the world to come across things that needed attention but didn't exactly fall into their line of work. This was an opportunity to get those people the help they truly needed. From what she had seen so far, Coulson was able to be trusted, but she wasn't positive about the rest of SHIELD. 

“Who will have access to these maps?” She asked finally. 

“Director Fury and myself, and only those with the highest clearance levels. They will be used as a reference point, nothing more,” he tried to assure her. 

Buffy frowned. “That's a lot of people I don't know, and to be honest, I can't trust them. And while I appreciate being help people faster and better, there are more people in my organization than just me who's safety I also have to consider.” 

“Fair enough,” he said with a nod. “I just wanted to approach you with the idea and let you take it to your organization. I'm sure we can arrange some sort of compromise on the maps.” 

“You knew I'd turn you down,” she accused him, dropping her fork to her plate. 

“You are cautious about the safety of the people in your organization. I can appreciate that. It's one of the reasons I approached you about the Avengers' Initiative,” he said, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. 

“And would the leader of the Avengers have access to these maps?” 

“Of course. They will be designed as a first response team to handle things that lesser men could not.” 

She grinned and tried to weasel more information out of him. “And just who is on this team so far?” 

The smallest of snorts that she was barely able to detect escaped Coulson's lips. “You know I won't answer that until you make your final decision.” 

“Spoil sport.” 

“That's me, the happy fun time killer,” he said in a deadpanned voice.


	5. A Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Miss Summers, I would like to ask a favor,” Coulson's calm voice said over the line.

Buffy frowned at the name displayed on the screen of her phone. She had just received her monthly have you considered our offer call from Coulson the week before so she wasn't sure why he would be calling her now. She swiped her thumb across the screen to accept the call and held it up to her ear. 

“Hey, Coulson, what's up?” 

“Miss Summers, I would like to ask a favor,” Coulson's calm voice said over the line. 

She straightened up in her chair. This was the first time he was asking for help from her and she was positive he wouldn't have asked if they weren't desperate. Not that he didn't think she could do the job, but she wasn't officially part of the organization yet. They were still in delicate talks and if she was being honest with herself, she was dragging them out probably more than necessary, but she was enjoying their banter and his consistent approach. 

“What do you need?” 

“It's Agent Barton. He was performing some reconnaissance in Rome when he was captured and taken into the catacombs beneath the city.” He paused before continuing. “I am concerned that we don't have the time to search them properly and locate him before irreparable harm comes to him. I was hoping you'd be able to locate him due to the time you spent in the city.” 

Buffy frowned despite the fact that she knew he couldn't see her. The catacombs beneath the city were a literal labyrinth and no one knew just how extensive they were. Some areas were well documented and used for tours, but there were sections the hadn't seen a live human being in centuries. “Coulson, I never went down there. The beasties knew better than to go down there,” she said apologetically. 

She knew he was disappointed when she heard him actually sigh. “Then we will just have to find him our-” 

“But you are lucky I know someone who can track him down there,” she interrupted him. She had only met the archer once, but he had helped her out with a possible apocalypse in Seattle and he had been funny as well as competent. For him to have been taken, his opponent had to be good. 

“I assume you are referring to Miss Rosenberg?” He asked, his voice suddenly hopeful. 

“I am. How soon do you need us there and who took him?” 

“As soon as possible will be best. The subject of interest can be rather extreme in the measures they take, but we haven't identified them yet. Agent Barton's assignment was to infiltrate the organization and determine their identity. However, he managed to drop word half an hour ago that he'd been compromised and to investigate the catacombs before he was cut off.” 

Buffy frowned at the phone. “Are you even sure he's down there?” 

“Reasonably certain. We tracked the call to just outside one of the entrances and he managed to leave a tracking mark outside of it.” 

“Good enough for me,” she said, knowing that Coulson wouldn't have lightly made the assumption. “Willow and I can be there in fifteen. Just have something of his that Willow can use to track him.” 

“Fifteen?” Coulson asked in surprise. “You're in Cleveland.” 

Buffy was past being surprised that Coulson always seemed to know where she was located and smugly pointed out, “Willow's a witch.” Then hung up the phone to collect Willow.


	6. Damsel In Distress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson places his trust in magic to find his missing agent.

Buffy gave Coulson her best reassuring look as she and Willow approached him. She knew first hand what it was like to have a member of your team be taken by the enemy and that he wasn't going to accept any platitudes. The best way to help Coulson was to find Clint, and fast. 

“Miss Summers, thank you for arriving so quickly,” Coulson said with a solemn nod. 

“It was no problem. Willow, this is Agent Phil Coulson of a ridiculously long named organization, Coulson, this is Willow Rosenberg, my long time friend and witch.” 

He reached out and shook the redhead's hand. “It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Rosenberg.” 

“Same here,” she said with a small smile. “I just wish it had been under better circumstances.” 

“Don't we all,” he replied. “I have Agent Barton's usual bow. Will that work for the tracking spell?” 

Willow gave Buffy an inquiring look. “It's his weapon of choice, apparently. I think Coulson has mentioned him sleeping with it from time to time,” Buffy explained. 

“Then it should work just fine,” Willow said. Coulson handed it over and then gestured to the entrance to the catacombs. “Give me a minute to get everything ready,” she said softly before moving to the indicated entrance. 

“Coulson, I wanted to go over a few things before we go in there,” Buffy said while Willow set up her spell. 

“What is it?” 

“I don't want any of your agents going in there with us. It'll get real crowded, real fast if we run into the baddies while looking for Clint. I don't want casualties because we lost our ability to maneuver,” she explained. 

He gave her an assessing look. “How do you know we have agents here besides myself?” 

Buffy rolled her eyes. “I counted at least four of them on our short walk over here. Plus I see a few of them on top of the nearby buildings. Doesn't matter if they are dressed like civilians I can pick them out of the crowd. And even if I hadn't seen them, if it had been one of mine who was taken, I'd have a team here as well.” 

“Agreed,” Coulson said with a nod, the corners of his lips twisting up ever so slightly into a hint of a smile. “With one change, I go in with you and Miss Rosenberg.” 

“Perfectly acceptable. In fact, I would have thought less of you if you hadn't asked.” 

“Glad to pass the test,” he said with a straight face. “Anything else?” 

“If there are humans in there, we don't kill them, it's a knock out only. If it's demons, we shoot to kill, no pausing to ask questions. On the off chance they are demons, I'm willing to work with you and your organization to help you track down and eliminate your person of interest. If they are human, I'll leave it up to you, unless you want our help.” 

“I think I can accept that.” 

“Good,” she said, letting a smile lighten her features. “I think Willow's ready, shall we?” 

The bow glowed briefly in Willow's hands as they joined her. “I've modified the tracking spell to take in account the nature of the catacombs. Rather than leading us in a straight line to Agent Barton, it should help us navigate the maze without having to do any backtracking. I figured time was of the essence,” she said with a shrug. 

“Thank you, Miss Rosenberg.” 

“Please, call me Willow.” 

Buffy let out a snort. “Forget it, Wills. I've been trying for the last eight months to get him to call me Buffy, and you see how well that's turned out.” 

“Well, it never hurts to try,” Willow replied. “Let's see if we can rescue your missing agent,” she said as she stepped through the threshold. 

Buffy and Coulson filed in behind the redhead as they entered the dark catacombs, they each carried a flashlight. It became too dark to see faster than Buffy had thought it would and it forced her to turn hers on. In front of her, Willow held out the bow horizontal to the floor and confidently led the way. 

The blonde managed to keep silent for fifteen minutes before she asked, “Your spell doesn't happen to give you a time estimate, does it?” 

“I can tell we're getting closer, but that's about it,” Willow said softly in the dark tunnels. “I don't think it'll be much further.” 

Buffy's frown was lost on the other two since they were unable to see her. “I don't like it.” 

“Don't like what?” Willow asked. 

“If you think we're getting close, we should have seen evidence of the group holding Clint. Noises, trash, hell, even some lights. But it's still as dark and silent as it was when we first entered,” she said, stopping where she was and forcing Willow to come back a few steps. “I don't like it.” 

Coulson nodded his head as he looked at the two women in the meager light that the flashlights provided. “She's right. This could be some sort of setup.” 

“But Agent Barton is down here,” Willow insisted. “The spell I cast on the bow won't steer me wrong.” 

“We're not doubting that,” Buffy assured her. “We're just worried about what to expect when we find him.” 

“Oh, you mean like an ambush,” Willow said, her eyes widening slightly. 

“Either that, or they've bugged out,” Buffy said with a shrug. 

“If they have escaped through different tunnels that could mean either Agent Barton doesn't have much time left, or they've left us a surprise,” Coulson added, his voice soft enough to not bounce off the rock walls. 

“So what do we do?” Willow asked. 

Buffy studied Coulson for a moment and could see that no matter what she and Willow decided, he was continuing on. “No man left behind,” she said in a hushed tone. “We get in and get him out of there as fast as we can. If we know they know we're coming, they won't be able to take us by surprise.” 

“Agreed,” he said, his mouth set in a grim line. 

Without another word, Willow held Clint's bow up once more and headed back down the tunnels. Five minutes later, they began to see a faint light shining from beyond the bend. Buffy and Coulson flicked their flashlights off and spread out behind Willow as best they could in the narrow walkway. Just as they reached the end of the tunnel, they stopped and listened. 

When they didn't hear anything, they continued on, weapons drawn and ready. Buffy kept the scythe in her left hand which allowed her right hand to be free in case she only needed to knock someone unconscious. Coulson had his gun out of its holster, but left the safety on and pointed to the ground. 

The slayer's frown grew deeper as they passed through now obviously occupied tunnels but still didn't encounter any resistance. There was evidence that the catacombs had been modified in that area to house people as they actually passed the occasional modern door and a short hallway that led to a large open room. 

Buffy's nerves practically vibrated from the adrenaline coursing through her system that had yet to find an outlet. She hated being on high alert like that with no enemy to actually fight. By the time Willow stopped at one of the modern doors and nodded her head, she was ready to scream in frustration. She looked over at Coulson who had the nerve to look calm and unruffled in direct contrast to her own inner turmoil. 

“Let's see what's behind door number one,” she breathed out. Willow stepped out of the way as Buffy and Coulson flanked the wooden door. In the dimly corridor she could see him slip the safety off the gun and shift into a more typical stance. She held up her right hand and counted down from three with her fingers before kicking the door in. 

Coulson's gun led the way into the room as they rushed forward. He let out a grunt almost immediately and his gun clattered to the floor. “Dammit, Barton.” 

“Sorry, sir,” came a not quite apologetic voice. 

Buffy's gaze did a quick sweep around the room until it landed on a sheepish looking Clint Barton. The tension she'd been holding in her shoulders eased as she took in his battered, but whole form. “I see our damsel in distress is alive and well,” she said with a slight smirk on her face. 

Predictably, Clint's chest puffed out slightly. “I may be a damsel, but I'm not in distress,” he said and he pointed to the pile of rope on the floor that had probably until recently held him captive. “Just managed to escape my bonds before you guys came in guns a'blazin'.” 

Willow poked her head in through the door. “It worked!” 

“You weren't sure it would?” Coulson asked, his surprise shining out of his eyes. 

“Well, I knew the tracking part would, just not the catacomb modification part,” she said with a huge grin. “Yay magic!” She exclaimed before stepping back out into the hallway.

Coulson stared at where she had been for a moment before turning to Buffy. “Is magic that unpredictable?” 

“You have no idea,” Buffy said with a snort. “The stories of magic mishaps I could tell you.” 

“Oh, those sound like fun,” Clint said, his eyes filled with mirth as he straightened from picking Coulson's gun up from the floor. 

“Another day,” Buffy said. She noted the bruises that covered his exposed limbs and face. The blood spatters on his clothing didn't look like he had been seriously injured. “So damsel, do I need to carry you out bridal style or are you able to walk?” 

Clint laughed. “Sir, please tell me we get to keep her.” 

“I'm working on it,” Coulson replied calmly. 

“I hate to break up the party, but we have a problem,” Willow said, popping her head back into the room. “I don't think this was a run of the mill super secret spy thing.” 

“What gives you that idea?” Buffy asked. 

“The summoning circle I saw in the main room.”


	7. Never Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding Clint had been the easy part. Catching the bad guy was going to be much harder.

“A summoning circle,” Clint said in a slow measured pace as he looked at Willow. “I'm guessing that's as bad as it sounds?” 

“Definitely bad,” Willow said with a bob of her head. “I'm just not sure how bad yet. It may take me some time, but I just wanted to let you know.” 

“Do you have any ideas about it?” Buffy asked, her gaze flickering over to Clint. Her shoulders were tense with the sudden thought that perhaps the reason the rescue had gone so easy was because their rescuee was actually a time bomb waiting to go off. 

Willow gave her head a subtle shake. “I'm not positive it's been used yet. It doesn't look finished, but I won't know until I examine it.” 

“Go for it. We'll be there in a minute,” Buffy said, the tension leaving her shoulders. She turned to Coulson. “It looks like we have a joint operation after all.” 

“This could be why we've had trouble locking down the leader of the organization. If they've been using magic it could be anybody,” Coulson said with a frown. “What should we expect?” 

Buffy shrugged. “I won't be sure until Willow finishes examining the circle. Clint, how exactly did they capture you and what happened down here?” 

Clint raised a hand to run through his short hair before he replied, “I was tracking the lower ranking members through the city in attempt to detect a pattern. However, I kept losing them, but I noticed that whenever it happened, there was an entrance to the catacombs nearby. That's how I figured out where their main base was.” He frowned thoughtfully for a moment before continuing, “I'm still not positive how they caught on to me. I hadn't even tried to infiltrate them. I was still in the intelligence gathering phase."

“It's possible they used magic to detect you,” Buffy pointed out. “Depending on how proficient they are, they could have known about you from the beginning and chose to grab you now for a reason.” 

Coulson nodded his agreement. “The magic could also explain our difficulties in infiltrating the organization in the past.” 

“Then what happened?” 

“I was barely able to get that message out before they overpowered me and pulled me into the catacombs. I'm no slouch with navigation, but I was lost just a few turns in. I thought I was a goner because no one would have been able to find me down here. Thank goodness for that magic tracking spell you guys used,” he said with a grin. “But they worked me over while trying to get some of the standard information.” 

Buffy interrupted him. “Why work you over? Why not just use magic?” She asked, truly curious. 

“I'm not sure, but she definitely seemed to enjoy hitting me, and she pack a wallop for someone her size,” Clint said as he rubbed his jaw where a bruise was starting to bloom. “And then an hour ago someone came in freaking out. She ordered them to put me in the room and to pack up.” 

“An hour ago, that's when you and Willow arrived,” Coulson murmured. 

“They must have picked up Willow's magic signature when we teleported in,” Buffy said with a sigh. She studied Clint for a moment. “You keep mentioning a she. What did she look like?” 

“Wasn't much taller than you, slim, long red hair, and she had a scar on her right cheek.” 

“Damn it!” Buffy swore and paced the small room a few times before she stopped in front of Clint. “Are you sure you're fine? No broken bones you're hiding? Cuts? Stabs?” 

Clint looked at her in surprise. “I'm a bit banged up but I'm good. Who is she?” 

“You good to go, ready to fight?” She drilled at him, her eyes intense. 

“Ready to go,” he said with a confident nod despite looking thoroughly confused at the sudden change in topics. 

“Miss Summers, who is she?” Coulson asked as he stepped between her and Clint. 

“Trouble, big trouble. So big, that we have to take care of it now,” Buffy said, before walking briskly out of the room and into the main room. “Willow! Please tell me that circle wasn't for summoning a demon for possession!” 

The redhead looked up at her in surprise from her crouched position next to the circle. “How did you know?” 

“Because what else would our favorite slayer villain be doing?” Buffy said with a disgusted look on her face. 

“Jaedynn?” Willow said, her surprised expression dropping into a darker one. “Here?” 

“Not unless you know another redhead with a scar on her right cheek who can pack a wallop despite her size.” 

“Well, shoot,” Willow said, sitting fully on the floor. “This complicates things.” 

“And I'm ready to hear how,” Coulson said, his voice full of steel. “Who is this Jaedynn and why would she capture my agent? Don't make me ask again.” 

“She's a slayer,” Buffy said flatly as she turned to look at him and Clint. “Unfortunately there are the occasional bad apples and Jaedynn was pretty far out there. We had concerns about her when we first found her but thought that with the right reinforcements and training we could cut off her downward spiral. We were wrong.” 

Willow stood up to stand next to Buffy. “To make matters worse, she's very proficient in magic. She also studied with the coven while she was with us. Her power is impressive but she's always craved more. She's been seeking a way to enhance her own powers with that of demons. This circle is evidence of the current attempt.” 

“If she's so much trouble, why haven't you taken care of her?” Clint asked with a frown as he adjusted his bow onto his back. 

“We've been trying the rehabilitation thing first,” Buffy said with a sigh, her eyes tired with an old pain. “But we're still struggling with the ability to keep any rogue slayers contained. A last ditch effort would be to strip her of her powers permanently, but it's a painful, invasive process and I don't like doing it.” 

“You've done it before?” Clint asked softly. 

“Twice.” 

Coulson gave Buffy a sympathetic look before he asked, “How do you want to handle this?” 

“This is the first lead we've had on her in a year. She has to be somewhere here in the tunnels. I want to end this today,” Buffy said firmly although unshed tears shone in her eyes. 

“And how do you want to end this?” He asked, his tone soft. 

Buffy shared a long look with Willow before turning back to him. “We take her down by whatever means necessary. I don't want to kill her, but I won't object if it's the only way.”


	8. Potential For Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search for the renegade slayer responsible for capturing Clint comes to its inevitable conclusion.

Buffy breathed deeply to try and calm herself down from the fight. She looked down at the girl's broken body, red hair fanned out like a halo around her head and mixed with the blood on the floor. Jaedynn looked peaceful in death in a way that she had never managed to achieve during her short life.

Hazel eyes shimmered with unshed tears. This wasn't the way she wanted to end things. She would have preferred keeping the girl alive, only stripped of her powers, but she had been left with no choice. They had given the young woman more than enough chances to redeem herself. To come back from the destructive path she had set herself upon, but in the end she had exercised her right to free will and Buffy was left picking up the pieces. Jaedynn had fought her to the death, unable to live the rest of her days without power. 

And Buffy was responsible for giving her that first taste of power by having Willow awaken all the Potentials so many years ago. For some, like Buffy, it was burden that they shouldered with a sense of responsibility. For others, it created an endless hunger for more and while a precious few could step back from that hunger and learn from their mistakes, most could not. The random few of her slayers who had abused their power because she had made it possible for them had created another level of guilt that she already carried. 

She became aware of Coulson and Clint coming to stand on either side of her while Willow took charge of the magical cleanup. For a moment she tensed in expectation of unwanted platitudes from them but the tension slowly bled from her muscles as they just stood there in silence next to her. They were close enough that the fabric of Coulson's suit brushed lightly against her arm and the slight heat from Clint's battle worn body could be felt, but they made no move to touch her. 

They had been unbelievable assets today with her hunt. Once they grasped the severity of their opponent they had followed her every lead as they tracked Jaedynn and her followers through the catacombs. Not once did they try to stop her or request backup from their own people. Even when the trail had led them out of the catacombs and into an abandoned building, they had stayed with her, only asking questions for clarity. She was definitely going to have to stop dragging out their negotiations for collaboration.

After a while, Coulson asked, "What would you like to have done with her remaining followers?" 

Buffy jumped slightly at the unexpected break in silence. She was surprised that he was asking for her opinion since this had started out as a SHIELD op to rescue Clint. "I would like to take them back to our headquarters and questioned to see how much she revealed to them and to assess any possible magical talent. Any of those deemed a non-magical threat can be turned over to SHIELD." 

Coulson turned to give her a nod and approving look, "That shouldn't be a problem. I'll go make the arrangements with my people." Then he moved to leave but she reached out with one hand to stop him.

"I would also like to set up a meeting with Director Fury for sometime next week. Call me on my cell," she said with a small smile. "I think it's time to make some official arrangements between our organizations, don't you?" 

His smile matched hers. "It would be my pleasure, Miss Summers." 

Buffy dropped her hand from his arm so he could make his calls and turned to look at Clint. "I'm sorry you got mixed up in our mess today." She held up a hand to hold off his protests. "I know, I know. You were investigating for SHIELD but you still got mixed up in our politics because I hadn't shut her down earlier, and I am sorry for that." 

Clint rested a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Apology not necessary but accepted. Sometimes you have to follow your heart whether it's the right choice or not. We've all made decisions that way, and some just happen to bite us on the ass. Give Coulson some time and he can tell you about all the ways I've fucked up doing that." 

"Do your fuck ups put thousands of people in danger?" She asked wearily. 

"They could have, yes," he said soberly. 

She frowned at him for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, I guess spying on arms dealers and terrorists would affect a lot of people." 

He slid his arm around her shoulder and steered her away from the dead body on the floor. "You realize that we could be working together a lot more now, creating a potential for us to fuck up even more," he said with a jovial tone. "We can screw things up on both sides of the spectrum." 

"I _am_ good at causing grey hairs," Buffy said thoughtfully, allowing him to shift the mood. "Think I could give Coulson a few?" 

"Nah, if I haven't succeeded in it yet, no one can."


End file.
